Making Space For Differences

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

Continuing the discussion from A curious thing about the only two negative book reviews I’ve received…:

@NLENTS, your post has been on my mind all day. I read @Patrick’s post first thing this morning and I still can’t shake it. If I didn’t know you, if we hadn’t had such a good conversation in St. Louis at @swamidass’ workshop, it might have just rolled by. But I have seen the way you talk about your family, I have seen your humility and eagerness to understand those who disagree with you. I know you care about people in a way that, frankly, I wish more Christians would. In fact, part of why this is so hard for me is that I’ve seen Christ in you more than I have in lots of so-called Christian leaders. I hope you take that as a compliment and not as offensive.

So, when people, who may have religious or political positions closer to my own than to Nathan’s, make such unprofessional, unacademic, and frankly just petty, personal attacks in a book review of all places, I makes me a little sick inside.

P.S. I thought about sending this to @NLENTS privately because I really don’t know how people in my sphere, including my employer, might react. But I decided that if Nathan can have the courage to be “out”, as a gay, progressive, atheist as he engages in dialog with Christians, then the least I can do, as a straight, relatively conservative, Christian, is publicly say “I’m sorry that happened to you, you deserve better.”

I want to comment on this, briefly. This exchange, in several ways, is an example of “civic practices rooted in the aspiration of tolerance, humility, and patience.” This servers the common good by “creating space for differences, even as we maintain our own beliefs and practices.”

John Inazu: Why I’m Still Confident About ‘Confident Pluralism’

This sort of practice is so rare in our moment, in this topic, that it might even be disorienting. It is also “fair” as in “just” and “beautiful.” I note also that this is not even touching on the details sexual ethics, and doesn’t need too, at least not now or publicly.

I wanted to share this video. The pastor took a risk in inviting me to preach this with him. I talked about the science of sex, but also preached on how Jesus saw eunuchs. He saw them. Whatever we are convinced is the sexual ethics of Scripture, we need to see sexual minorities, following his example. This happened at the GAE workshop as people spent time with @nlents, and it also happens as we learn about the science of sex and gender.

I know @nlents is working on a book on the science of sex right now. I hope Christians in particular will take this book seriously, whatever our sexual ethics. This will be an important opportunity to see the people who are so often are injured by us.

@nlents, thank you for your “confession”, demonstrating personal and intellectual vulnerability. Thank you for coming to the GAE workshop too. Far beyond Adam and Eve, very important things took place there, as you can see.

[Patrick]

Adam Rutherford’s new book “Humanimal” has several chapters on the science of sex. This is a must read for @NLENTS if he is working on a book on this subject area.

Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature―A New Evolutionary History

[NLENTS (Nathan H. Lents)]

Not only have I read it, Adam and I shared the stage last fall at the Wimbledon festival, since our books pair together so well. I also introduced and interviewed him at a bookstore in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago. We’ve become friends and fellow travelers. I told him I’m now writing a book on sexuality and he was like, “Oh boy.” He’s writing one on race and I’m like, “Oh boy.”

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

I’m interested in both you books. Very interesting.

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@nlents what should be five to ten good books you would reccomend me to cite give theologians an introduction to current thinking on the rise of humans? I already cite your book, and I’m going to cite this one. Any others you think would be helpful?

[NLENTS (Nathan H. Lents)]

Well, what aspect are you thinking about? I’m most interested in Anatomy/Physiology and genetics, etc, but I suspect that theologians would be more interested in human nature and the mind and so forth, right? If I have that right, then I would highly recommend “Moral Origins” by Christopher Boehm, The Third Chimpanzee and The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond (or any book by him, really), and The Moral Animal by Robert Wright. (I also really like “The Language Instinct,” “The Blank Slate,” and “The Stuff of Thought” by Steven Pinker, but theologians might be turned off by him, as they would “The Moral Arc” by Michael Shermer.) Also, Mark Moffet has a new one coming out soon called The Human Swarm.

[Djordje]

Here’s a very good TED talk on this:

Disclaimer: The word ‘balls’ is used freely, so if you have fragile sensibilities don’t watch this. And if you do watch it, despite of that, take your complaints elsewhere.